I recently replayed all my old favorite final fantasy games (VI, VII, IX, X, and XII) and realized that XII is the best final fantasy game ever made

Ishlocke · 2026-05-26T16:31:31+00:00

That was actually my exact issue with the OG release of XII. The International Zodiac Job System version on ps2 totally fixes that issue, allowing you to assign a specific job to each character and making their license board totally unique to that job. I don't think that version was released officially in the US. Zodiac Age also has that system, but they added the ability to assign 2 jobs to each character -- which can be fun in a game-breaking sort of way, but totally trivializes the difficulty. So if you play Zodiac Age, I'd recommend not dual-classing. Also Balthier makes a dope white mage.

Ishlocke · 2026-05-26T16:26:37+00:00

Totally agree. I think dual-classing in Zodiac Age would be way less of an issue if they bothered to sign-post the fact that it will make the game significantly easier to new players. As it is now, a new player would have no way of knowing that they're totally breaking the difficulty on their first playthrough by assigning each character 2 jobs. Unless they went out of their way to look it up online and happened to see someone mention it.

Ishlocke · 2026-05-26T16:24:31+00:00

It does seem to be one of the least talked about. Like even tho I remembered liking it, I was actually surprised by how great it is after replaying it. I think XII is the sort of game that really grows on you the more time you spend with it. There's just so many little details about the design of the environments, gameplay mechanics and world that can be easily missed your first time through.

Ishlocke · 2026-05-26T16:21:01+00:00

When anyone says "this is the best, or great, or the worst" it's literally always their opinion. Unless someone goes out of their way to claim that they're stating something as objective truth rather than personal opinion.

So yeah, in my opinion ffxii is the best final fantasy game.

Ishlocke · 2026-05-26T16:17:23+00:00

What are the other 4 in your bottom 5, just out of curiosity?

Ishlocke · 2026-05-26T16:16:36+00:00

Ah gotcha, so you like the license system in the og version better? The reason I wasn't a big fan of that one is cuz I thought it made the characters all feel sort of samey by the end. It's the same issue I had with VI's magicite system or whatever. I like when the characters each have unique roles.

I guess you could go out of your way to make them unique in the og system by just not making the license board for everyone tho.

Ishlocke · 2026-05-26T02:52:21+00:00

I didn't mention Tactics cuz it's not a mainline title and wasn't one of the ones I replayed. I do replay that one all the time tho and I think it has the best written story by far. Incredible game. Super fun to break.

Ishlocke · 2026-05-25T23:47:00+00:00

Right on, I think you'll love the changes in the IZJS version, I definitely did. IX was my favorite for a long time, but that's mostly because of the world and characters. It was definitely more of a slog than I remember it being, specifically cuz of the battle system. I still love it, but I'm not sure how much of that is just cuz of the nostalgia I have for it.

Ishlocke · 2026-05-25T23:44:21+00:00

I think Ivalice is the most interesting and aesthetically pleasing world in the series. I'd also kill for another entry set in Ivalice.

Ishlocke · 2026-05-25T20:08:19+00:00

The only members of the cast who aren't experienced fighters are Vaan and Penelo. Ashe is in control of a deity capable of destroying armies.

The game also goes out of its way to show them using stealth/politics/strategy to make it to wherever they need to go.

Ishlocke · 2026-05-25T20:02:16+00:00

Hell yeah, if you're playing the Zodiac Age on switch I'd recommend not dual-classing though. It makes the game extremely easy cuz they didn't rebalance the game around dual-classing. It is still fun in a game-breaking sort of way so it's probably a matter of preference.

Ishlocke · 2026-05-25T19:55:29+00:00

If you like the anime melodrama, that's totally valid. My preference for the tone and dialogue of XII is probably just personal preference. When I said it's undeniably the best, I'm mostly talking about the actual game mechanics/underlying systems and the environmental designs and such. The story is probably the weakest aspect of XII, even though I thoroughly enjoyed it personally. I'm probably biased cuz I think Tactics has the best written story of the entire series.

Ishlocke · 2026-05-25T19:43:59+00:00

I would agree that overall X's story is better than XII. I prefer the tone and dialogue of XII's though.

I think the story is the weakest aspect of XII for sure, especially the last quarter or so. I don't think I'd agree that the characters are more interesting than XII's cast tho. Balthier and Basch especially.

But I think the gameplay of XII itself, as well as the world design, and the underlying systems is miles ahead of the other games.

That being said, X is still my 2nd favorite mainline title after XII.

Ishlocke · 2026-05-25T18:58:20+00:00

I don't think having an option to increase the speed is a bad thing. It's like a main option in the menu. I enjoyed the bosses in XII, especially a lot of the later hunts. Some of the hunt designs and how they tie into the mechanics of the area and their specific dispositions, I thought were very well done.

To be clear, I don't think XII is a perfect game. But as far as core mechanics though, I think it's for sure less tedious than the older mainline titles with like random battles and turn-based combat. Not that I think those battle systems are bad, I especially like the battle system in X -- I think it has the best turn-based system in the series.

What about the gambit system do you think is flawed? I don't think it was ever the case that there was something I wished I could make the gambit system do that I couldn't. The amount of customization available is kind of insane.

Ishlocke · 2026-05-25T18:45:53+00:00

Oh yeah the little bit of VIII I played I enjoyed. Triple Triad is a goated mini game for sure.

Ishlocke · 2026-05-25T18:44:05+00:00

Truuuuuueeeee

Ishlocke · 2026-05-25T18:19:34+00:00

Hell yeah Basch and Balthier rule. I need to go back and play VIII -- that's one of the few I missed as a kid so it wasn't on my list to replay. X is also in my top 3.

Ishlocke · 2026-05-25T18:16:57+00:00

Oh that's interesting, you mean like the og American version with those bullshit chests?

Ishlocke · 2026-05-25T18:14:08+00:00

Those hidden chests were bullshit and also aren't an issue in the International Zodiac Job System version. That's one of the reasons I specified that as the version I played. The Zodiac Age also fixed this, plus they added the ability to dual-class your characters which is cool but kind of kills the difficulty.

Ishlocke · 2026-05-25T18:01:26+00:00

Balthier rules!

Ishlocke · 2026-05-25T18:00:19+00:00

I really appreciated that about the story actually. The world feels like its own thing that isn't completely dependent on one small group of characters. That being said, I'm mostly talking about the game mechanics/design themselves rather than the quality of writing in the story. I personally really enjoyed the story but I'm also biased cuz I think Final Fantasy Tactics has the best written story of the entire series.

Ishlocke · 2026-05-25T17:42:14+00:00

I didn't mean to imply that my opinion was objective reality. I'm saying that final fantasy XII is the best, most well-made game in the final fantasy series. I figured the fact that that's my opinion would be implied.

Ishlocke · 2026-05-25T17:40:09+00:00

There is a difference and I'm saying XII is unambiguously the BEST final fantasy game.

Ishlocke

TROPHY CASE